Electrode holder or clamp



July 6, 1937. J. YOUNG 2,086,148

ELECTRODE HOLDER OR CLAMP Filed Oct. 22, 1935 Patented July 6, 1937 Zyilhfidlfi ELECTRQDE EMBLDER (UR CLAMP John Young, Welland, (Ontario,

Application @ctober 22, I935, 46,141

n relates to improvements in elecularly adaptable i :l lder or clam el ctric con ct between the clamping members second to provide means for in on the electrode operated remote from the electrode and the gen 3d therefrom and from the furnace roof, an. rd to avoid the necessity of the operator climbing on the hot furnace roof to tighten or loosen the clamp, and it consists essentially of the a'rangement and construction of parts as iereinafter more particularly explained. Fig. l is a side eieva n of an electric furnace showing my holders or clamps applied thereto.

Fig. 2 s an enlarged detail of a gib and my holder or clamp applied thereto. 3 is a further enlarged plan sectional view through my holder and clamp intermediately broken away of its length.

Fig. i is a cross sectional view on line 1- Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 a sectional plan view of a modified construction of clamp.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the alternative construction shown in 5.

Fig. is an end view of my clamp as shown in g 2. I he drawing like characters of reference in a corresponding parts in the diiferent views.

die to l indicates an electric melting refining furnace, i being the roof. 2 are the electrodes car ried in holders or clamps, hereinafter described, secured to tubular gi'o arms 3 secured on the bracket portions 1 of the gibs 5 which are raised and lowered in the usual manner. The arm is cvided with an insulating sleeve inserted between such tube and the bracket l. The arm 3 is provided with a flanged collar l at its outer end.

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he body of the clamp which is U or stirrup sh form so as to extend around one of the electrode and formed with interior "11g seats contacting with the electrode arms 53 of the U body 8 form sine a r surfaces Q bearing against the side of the electrode opposite to the bearing The inner sides of the members 9 and e are recessed at to form inclined faces it iii which together form a V shaped recess. it re bearing plates of. hardened metal fitting (Cl. Jig-15) against the inclined faces Mi The body 8 and members 9 and 9 are preferably of copper or other suitable conducting material.

is a tubular thrust member provided at one end with a head l3 which is preferably arced transversely to bear against the plates El and is also provided with a transverse slot M. through pins extending between the upper and lower walls or" the recess, freely extend.

to is a plug driven into the opposite end of the thrust member 62, the head Mi of which is provided with a threaded stem 56. The gib arm collar l is secured by bolts to the flange i'l connected by the tubular portion l'i so as to be integral th the body 3 of the clamp. The opposite end of the gib arm is provided with a closure l secured therein and provided with a central internally threaded orifice i9. 28 is a thrust screw meshing with the thread of the orifice Id and through which freely extends the stem 3 20 provided with nuts 2i.

After the electrode 2 is inserted in the holder between the bearing faces 8 of the body 8 and the bearing faces l of the clamp members 9, the thrust screw 2E3 is then screwed against the head of the plug it forcing the tubular thrust tube l2 longitudinally and forcing the are shaped head l3 against the plates ll tending to spread. the members 9 and 2 apart and against the inner surface of the arms 8 to form good contact and at the same time forcing the surfaces 9 against the electrode and the electrode against the surfaces 8 to form a tight grip. When it is desired to loosen the electrode, the thrust screw 29 is unscrewed, the head thereof bearing against the nuts 2i so as to withdraw the thrust member l2 and relieve the pressure of the members 9 and 9 against the electrode 2.

It will be noted on referring to Fig. 1 that the head of the thrust screw 29 is located at considerable distance from the electrode and laterally cf the furnace so that it can be readily reached without subjecting the operator to the intense heat of the furnace or electrode or requiring him to climb on the hot roof of the furnace to reach the adjusting screw.

are conducting tubes through which the current passes mounted on suitable brackets 22 and 22, the current passing from the terminals 23 to and through the holder to the electrode. Water cooling may also be provided in the body of the holder as indicated at 25.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a modified construction in which I employ a single clamping member 25 surrounding the inner peripheral portion of the r) UL) electrode as indicated at the opposite face of the member being provided with a recess 25. lhe adjacent end of the thrust member 26 is provided with a hardened thrust pin turnably fitting the recess 25. lhe opposite end or" the thrust member is provided with a stem 2? corresponding to the stem 56 of 3 but in place of the thrust screw I use a compression spring extending between the end closure and the plug 36 and serves to force the thrust member longitudinally and the clamping member into contact with the electrode 2. In this form th conducting rods 3i and are connected to the brackets and 34 forming part res ectively of the clamp body 35 and clamp member 25.

From this description it w be seen that I have devised a holder which will form a good contact between the parts thereof to convey the current to the electrode and which will enable the operator to adjust the clamp without approach-- ing closely either to the intense heat of the elecrode or the furnace roof.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an electrode holder, the combina 1 with a tubular supporting arm suitably m l-inte at one end, an electrode holder secured to the opposite end of the arm, means within the holder for clamping the electrode, a thrust member within the tubular arm and engaging the clamping means at one end to force the same into contact with the electrode, a closure for the opposite end of the tubular arm, and having an internally threaded orifice, a tubular screw threaded in the orifice, a stem extending from the thrust member through the screw and having a nut screwed on its outer end against which the head of the tubular screw bears.

2. In an electrode holder, the combination with a tubular supporting arm suitably mounted at one end, an electrode holder secured to the opposite end of the arm and comprising a U-shaped body through which the electrode extends to fit against the base of the U, a divided clamping device bearing against the opposite side of the electrode, a thrust rod extending through the tubular arm, and means at the inner end of the thrust arm for simultaneously forcing the divided members into engagement with the elec-- trode and for spreading them apart into tight contact with the sides of the U-shaped holder.

3.111 an electrode holder, the combination with a suitably mounted supporting arm, an electrode holding device carried by the supporting arm and bearing against one side of the electrode, a divided clamping device bearing against the opposite side of the electrode and held between opposing portions of the holding device, a thrust member carried by the supporting arm, and means operated by the thrust member for simultaneously carrying the members of the clamping device into tight contact with the electrode and with the opposing portions of the holding device. 4. In an electrode holder, the combination with a suitably mounted support, an electrode holding device carried by the support and bearing against the electrode at each side of its diameter, a divided clamping device bearing against the opposite side of the electrode diagonally opposite the bearing points of the holding device and held between opposing side portions of the holding device, and means for simultaneously carrying the members of the clamping device into tight contact with the electrode and with the said opposing side portions of the holding device.

JOHN YOUNG. 

